fun game gone bad

[tmp44]

CYO high school game...2 teams from the same high school playing each other and neither team is really taking it seriously. It had the atmosphere of really a high school intramural game. In the first half, the kids were having a lot of fun with the game, joking around with each other, and my partner and I were letting them have their fun, while at the same time calling more than just the obvious so it doesn't get out of control..e.g. we were in the double bonus both ways midway through the 2nd qtr.

Second half was a different story. Team A begins to get blown out a little bit, and they are getting frustrated. #2 for Team A is really getting obnoxious, and I finally told him no more. Minute later, #2 is on a 2-on-1 breakaway, and his teammate absolutely clears out the defender. *TWEET* illegal screen...#2 looks at me and goes " I think you just made that one up like everything else tonight." WHACK. About a minute later, he's guarding Team B's point guard, and swings his leg out trying to trip the kid. I immediately came up with a flagrant and threw him. 4th Qtr., my partner whacks another person from Team A for throwing the ball about halfway down the court after getting called for a backcourt violation. We were very close to just calling the game, but got through. It's just frustrating when you try to let the kids have fun and stuff like that happens.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by tmp44
It's just frustrating when you try to let the kids have fun and stuff like that happens.

It wasn't letting them have their fun that was the problem. If you'd have "cracked down early", you'd have had all the problems, just more of them. You did the best you could do and the players and coaches screwed it up. I wouldn't lose any sleep over this.

[TimTaylor]

Originally posted by rainmaker

It wasn't letting them have their fun that was the problem. If you'd have "cracked down early", you'd have had all the problems, just more of them. You did the best you could do and the players and coaches screwed it up. I wouldn't lose any sleep over this.

I agree. Unfortunately this is often the nature of CYO and other HS age rec league players. Many of these kids don't have the skills or self discipline to make their regular HS teams, and often have a chip on their shoulder or feel they have something to prove. It takes a strong coach to keep them pointed the right direction......something not very common at this level.

[tmp44]

Let me add to this that the "coaches" were in fact students themselves. After the 3rd technical, I went over to the "coach" of that team and told him to either get his team under control, or the game was over. I'll give him credit, for a high school kid, he managed to get his kids settled down.